North Cumberlands Project

Public Benefits

1.     More Land for Hunting

§        Additional 40,000 acres for hunting and fishing in Morgan and Scott counties

§        More access for hikers, bikers, camping and wildlife viewing

2.     Protects access to clean water

§        Protects the river systems that provide water supply for more than 27,000 Tennesseans in Huntsville, Harriman, Oneida, Sunbright, Wartburg, Kingston, Oliver Springs, Rockwood

§        Protects important forests, mountains, streams, rivers and wildlife

3.     Working Forests

§        93.6% of land will be actively managed for timber production

§        Acquires the timber rights on 70,000 acres the state already owns

4.     Enhances Frozen Head State Park

§        Adds Love and Bird Mountains to Frozen Head State Park to be protected for future generations

5.     International Treasure

§        The Nature Conservancy has ranked this biologically rich area, also known as the Heart of the Cumberlands, as the 8^th most important place on earth.

6.     Maximizes State Investment

§        Leveraging funding from Lyme and The Nature Conservancy allows the state to protect more land with less investment

7.     Protects Local Economies

§        Private property owners continue to pay property taxes

§        Payment in lieu of taxes paid by the state any fee simple purchases

§        Working lands provide local jobs